Clothing ventilating device



March 4, 1958 c. M. MILLER CLOTHING VENTILATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 3, 1956 ATTORNEY United States Patent F CLOTHING VENTILATING DEVICE come]! M. Miller, Natick, Mass. Application February 3, 1956, Serial No. 563,397 12 Claims. or. 230-160 (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), see. 266) The invention described herein, if patented,'may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The invention relates to fluid pumps and in the particular embodiment of the invention comprises a clothing ventilating device and more particularly comprises an air pump which is operative to pump ventilating air over the human body by the action of walking or other normal movement ofthe body or limbs. It is known that such devices in the nature of collapsible chamber pumps have been associated with boots and shoes so as to accomplish the same result. However, such devices either require an especially constructed boot'or shoe which incorporates the bellows therein whereby to be prohibitively expensive or they rely on a bellows insert or attachment to an unmodified boot or shoe which obviously is too uncomfortable to have any practical utility.

It is known also'that such pumps have been associated with other parts of the body for actuation by normal body or limb movements. However, in every instance the bulk, bellows or other collapsible chamber is collapsed by the exertion of force in a straight line against one side or wall of the chamber to force the two sides or walls together. This requires considerable force whereby either it requires so much extra effort on the wearers part as to be tiring or it is comparatively inefiicient in operation.

I have discovered that substantially less effort is re-- quired to collapse a flexible-walled collapsible chamber if a fulcrum is applied to one wall of the chamber and both walls are thereafter folded about the fulcrum, the portions of the chamber on opposite sides of the fulcrum operating as levers.

With the foregoing in view, it is'an object of the invention to provide an improved fluid pump of the collapsible chamber type.

It is a further object of the invention toprovide an improved clothing ventilating pump which is attached to a joint of a limb of the wearer so as to be actuated by the normal flexing and straightening of the limb as in walking or other normal movement.

A further object is to provide such a pump which is in the nature of a collapsible pneumatic chamber which is constructed and arranged to be alternately collapsed and inflated as the joint is flexed and straightened 'so as to pump intermittent streams of cooling air to selective areas of the body.

A further object is to provide a novel fluid pump of, V

is to provide in combination with a ice the attached drawing in connection with the following. specification wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a frontelevational view showing the invention applied to the knees of a wearer;

Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1;

'Figure 3 is a view like Figure 2 but showing the invention devices inlongitudinal vertical section;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of one of the invention devices, parts being shown in trans verse section;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of an outlet port of one of the devices; and

Figure 6 is a view like Figure 5 of an intake port.

Referring specifically to the drawings, wherein like reference charcters designate like parts in all views, 10

designates generally a' fluid pump according ,to the in-v vention. In the embodiment illustrated, a pair of pumps 16 have been shown asapplied to the knees 321015 a wearer inside a garment 9, Figure 2. The chamberslll are foldable in at least one direction along transverse hinge lines which are diagrammatically designated by f the broken lines 7 in Figs. 1 and 4. Obviously, but a" 3 single device could be used on only one knee. Also, it is contemplated that these devices are readily applicable to other parts of the body such as the elbow, knuckle, wrist, hip or other joints. 'Also, the device maybe applied to inanimate hinge joints for actuation thereby for purposes other than the pumping of cooling air. Thus, it is con templated that the devices according to the invention are intended not only .to be'worn in connection with joints other than the knees and in numbers greater or smaller than the pair illustrated, but are intended for a wide range of applications and'uses.

As best seen in .Figure 3, each ventilating device 10 comprises an inner wall 11 which may be normally flat contours of the outside and sides of the joint 'to which it is to be applied whether such joint is in its flexed or. straight position.

The wall 11 may be formed of any thin flexibleand impervious material and preferably is at least slightly elastic. skin side with a ily of any suitable soft, elastic, nonchafing material 8. Each ventilating pump lllincludes an outer wall 12 which is secured to the inner wall 11 by any suitable seam such as the hermetic faceto-face seam 13 which may be formed in any suitable manner as by adhesive, fusion, or vulcanization. In this connection, it is understood that the wall while flexible is preferably thicker and less flexible than the inner wall 11. It is formed of any suitable impermeable material such as cloth coated with any of a number of the well known plastics artificial or natural. The wall 12 is preshaped to conform substantially to the contours of the outside of the joint when the same is partially flexed to the degree to which it is normally flexed in'use, not the shape of the joint when flexed to the maximum. Thus, when applied to' the knees as shown, the outer wall 12 is shaped to conform substantially to the knee profile when the same is flexed partially to the extent it .is normally flexed in walking. This arrangement and the semi-stiff construe-air l atented Mar. 4, 1958 It is preferably lined. on the folded toward each other across said joint as the latter is flexed whereby to force said walls together and compress said chamber, and intake and outlet ports including check valve means in said chamber for the passage of fluid out of and into said chamber as said joint is flexed and unflexed.

2. A fluid pump according to claim 1, wherein said outer wall is formed of thicker and less flexible material than said inner wall.

3. A fluid pump according to claim 2, wherein at least said outer wall has side edges formed with opposed notches located substantially centrally of said side edges.

4. A fluid pump according to claim 2, wherein at least said outer wall has side edges formed with opposed notches, and said notches being located to straddle the hinge axis of said joint.

5. A fluid pump according to claim 2, wherein at least said outer wall has side edges formed with opposed arcuate notches, and said notches being disposed substantially concentrically of the hinge axis of said joint.

6. A fluid pump, comprising inner and outer flexible walls providing a collapsible chamber formed with intake and outlet ports including check valves, said walls being hermetically sealed together by an endless seam defining said chamber, said walls being constructed for folding in at least one direction along a hinge line extending transversely of said chamber, said walls being forced together to collapse said chamber upon folding of said walls in said direction, means mounting said chamber and including hinge means having a hinge axis and providing a hinge joint with said hinge line in outwardly ofiset coplanar relation to the hinge axis.

7. A garment ventilating device, comprising inner and outer walls providing a collapsible chamber, means mounting said chamber across the outside of a human hinge joint beneath said garment, said inner wall being sufiiciently flexible to conform substantially to the contours of said joint, said outer wall being preformed to a shape corresponding substantially to the contours of said joint when the same is at least partially flexed whereby to space said outer wall from said inner wall when said joint is unflexed, said walls being flexed and forced together when said joint is flexed, intake and outlet ports including check valve means in said chamber for the passage of fluid out of and into said chamber as said joint is flexed and unflexed, an intake conduit connected to said intake port and having an outer end located outwardly of said garment, and a manually operated shut-oil valve on said outer end of said intake conduit.

8. The combination with two members, hinge means connecting said members together and providing a hinge joint including a hinge axis, of a fluid pump including inner and outer flexible walls providing a collapsible chamber, said walls including edge portions hermetically sealed together, said walls being constructed for hinging action along a hinge line extending transversely thereof, said chamber having intake and outlet ports each having a check valve therein, and means for so mounting said pump along said members and across said hinge joint with said hinge line in coplanar relation with said hinge axis that flexing of said hinge joint in one direction is operative to cause said members to flex said chamber along its hinge line and collapse said chamber along said members over said joint whereby to expel fluid therein through said outlet port.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein said inner wall of said chamber is thinner and more flexible than said outer wall.

10. The combination of claim 8, wherein said outer wall is formed of thicker and less flexible material than said inner wall, and said outer wall being of outwardly arched configuration whereby to be longer than said inner wall.

11. The combination of claim 10, wherein said inner wall is formed of an elastic material.

12. The combination of claim 8, wherein said inner and outer walls are formed with opposed notches in said edge portions thereof, and said notches being located at opposite ends of said hinge line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

